2020 Italian Grand Prix - Monza, September 4 - 6

[NathanOlder]

In this day and age why isn't it possible for the drivers to get a warning on their steering wheel to notify them of the situation?

Yeah, would surely be simple and easy. relying on the 2 boards way out to the opposite side is a bit silly

[dans79]

In this day and age why isn't it possible for the drivers to get a warning on their steering wheel to notify them of the situation?

Yeah, would surely be simple and easy. relying on the 2 boards way out to the opposite side is a bit silly

Given the nature of the organization, it's not really surprising when things they do end up looking like a clown show!

[Wass85]

In this day and age why isn't it possible for the drivers to get a warning on their steering wheel to notify them of the situation?

Yeah, would surely be simple and easy. relying on the 2 boards way out to the opposite side is a bit silly

Given the nature of the organization, it's not really surprising when things they do end up looking like a clown show!

Sometimes it even makes you question the integrity of the sport.

[Moore77]

Anyone know why they closed pit entry? The stranded car was quite far behind. When the leader was so far ahead of the pack and so close to pit entry, displaying pit close signal didn't make sense. They should have brought SC earlier than that or allowed leader to pass the start line before flagging SC and closing pit lane. There was no accident and no one the track, so they should have used a bit of brain. They robbed a deserving winner by catching him off guard.

[RZS10]

Wolff said that the mention of the closed pit lane came on the fourth (!) page of the FIA communication during that SC and that they simply failed to look that far in preparation for the pit stop - of course the pit wall can't see the signs somewhere on the outside of parabolica...

He also said this “The decisions that were taken were highly unusual, but they were absolutely within the rules.”

[JordanMugen]

They robbed a deserving winner by catching him off guard.

Simply not the case. A leading team made an error, Alfa Romeo made an error, and the small plucky Italian team won much to everyone's delight. "That's motor racing."

Wolff said that the mention of the closed pit lane came on the fourth (!) page of the FIA communication during that SC

Yet Alpha Tauri were on the money with sharp strategy and even anticipated the pit lane closure and therefore pitted before the safety car was called, while all the other teams noticed the message, so the blame is 100% with Mercedes-Benz and Alfa Romeo.

Teams making such fundamental errors with basic race regulations cannot, by definition, be "deserving" winners!

[LM10]

Anyone know why they closed pit entry? The stranded car was quite far behind. When the leader was so far ahead of the pack and so close to pit entry, displaying pit close signal didn't make sense. They should have brought SC earlier than that or allowed leader to pass the start line before flagging SC and closing pit lane. There was no accident and no one the track, so they should have used a bit of brain. They robbed a deserving winner by catching him off guard.

Because the marshals pushed the car through pit entry.

[RZS10]

Yet Alpha Tauri were on the money with sharp strategy and even anticipated the pit lane closure

A time travelling strategist is indeed invaluable

[Moore77]

Anyone know why they closed pit entry? The stranded car was quite far behind. When the leader was so far ahead of the pack and so close to pit entry, displaying pit close signal didn't make sense. They should have brought SC earlier than that or allowed leader to pass the start line before flagging SC and closing pit lane. There was no accident and no one the track, so they should have used a bit of brain. They robbed a deserving winner by catching him off guard.

Because the marshals pushed the car through pit entry.

I am not asking the obvious. The car had just stranded and it wasn't an accident zone like turn 1. Was there a need to immediately close the pit lane and push the car in?

[JordanMugen]

Yet Alpha Tauri were on the money with sharp strategy and even anticipated the pit lane closure

A time travelling strategist is indeed invaluable

Exactly. Alpha Tauri outfoxed McLaren on the strategy there and then.

While the Mercedes strategy to make an illegal pitstop was laughably bad -- worse than McLaren, and far worse than Alpha Tauri who were actually onto it and able to predict the obvious!

[Wass85]

Anyone know why they closed pit entry? The stranded car was quite far behind. When the leader was so far ahead of the pack and so close to pit entry, displaying pit close signal didn't make sense. They should have brought SC earlier than that or allowed leader to pass the start line before flagging SC and closing pit lane. There was no accident and no one the track, so they should have used a bit of brain. They robbed a deserving winner by catching him off guard.

Because the marshals pushed the car through pit entry.

Yep instead of having the sense to push it back 5 yards, I suppose they didn't want to move their picnic table.

[JordanMugen]

I am not asking the obvious. The car had just stranded and it wasn't an accident zone like turn 1. Was there a need to immediately close the pit lane and push the car in?

Race control felt so, yes. Alpha Tauri noticed this and pitted before the safety car as it was obvious the pitlane would be closed to push the car in. It seems Mercedes were asleep at the wheel.

[JordanMugen]

Yep instead of having the sense to push it back 5 yards, I suppose they didn't want to move their picnic table.

That is negative conjecture, unfairly targeting volunteer marshalls. Not a nice sentiment at all!

The space there was not large enough to fit a 5.3mx2m F1 car actually.

[LM10]

Anyone know why they closed pit entry? The stranded car was quite far behind. When the leader was so far ahead of the pack and so close to pit entry, displaying pit close signal didn't make sense. They should have brought SC earlier than that or allowed leader to pass the start line before flagging SC and closing pit lane. There was no accident and no one the track, so they should have used a bit of brain. They robbed a deserving winner by catching him off guard.

Because the marshals pushed the car through pit entry.

I am not asking the obvious. The car had just stranded and it wasn't an accident zone like turn 1. Was there a need to immediately close the pit lane and push the car in?

The obvious for Michael Masi was that the car was going to be pushed through pit entry. So that's why they closed it immediately.

[Mamba]

Wolff said that the mention of the closed pit lane came on the fourth (!) page of the FIA communication during that SC

The entire grid (apart from Alfa somehow) managed to either see it, or their drivers saw it. Granted Merc were far ahead but HAM would at least have been on the back straight at SF delta speed going to the pits. He admitted his error however as far as I could see so kudos to him. It made the race much more spectacular for us fans in any event!